Goodbye Ed
by Jack And Honey
Summary: Carol and Michonne had always been the best of friends, all through their highschool days. But they'd gone different ways. Michonne to Atlanta for Lawschool. Carol found Ed. She suffered the abuse, just so Sophia wouldn't know what it was like to grow up with out a dad. But with a strange scruffy and kind hearted man walking into her life, Carol starts to see things differently /AU
1. Chapter 1

**This was a prompt from tumblr, for a Caryl AU based off of the Dixie chick song 'Goodbye Earl' so of course, I decided, Ed had to die. **

**I previously posted it, but I did some rehauling so hopefully, it'll flow a wee bit better. **  
**As always, thanks so much for reading! please, take a moment and review. they make my day so much brighter!  
**_

Today was going to be a good day, she could feel it in her bones.  
Spring had come as it often did, Slowly, and then all at once.  
The frosted morning air had turned to humid and sticky, forcing her into lighter clothes and shorter hair.  
She'd closed her eyes as she pulled into the driveway, savoring the feel of spring.  
She could smell the Magnolias in the air mingling with the smell of honeysuckle on the vein.

Sophia was in the backseat, eyes soft and toes wiggily and Ed was at work.  
They had the house to themselves.  
That's how it was, most days.  
But most days she couldn't put the wash up on the line to dry in the sun.  
At least, not in the past few months.  
Carol did so love spring.  
With spring came new growth, and new smells and all things bright and beautiful.  
Perhaps she would take Sophia down to the high school to see the new Lambs and the new Foals.  
Spring was for change and growth.  
But for now, she let the sound of buzzing bees and chirping birds, and distant cars fill her senses.  
Or at least, until she heard the gravelly voice shouting over the pounding and flopping.

Lovely.


	2. Chapter 2

**_+_+_+_+_Carol_+_+_+_+_**

A lean woman with short cropped reddish hair and down turned lips sighed and looked down at the photo album she'd pulled out from stashedaway.  
Two women, one with curly red hair the other with kinky black hair.  
They had always been the best of friends, Carol and Michonne.  
All through their Highschool days.  
Both having been members of the 4H club and both active in the FFA.

She ran her hand over the photo of the two happy young women on the cusp of a new life.

It had been four years. Four years since graduation. Somehow to Carol it didn't seem like it had been that short a while ago, it seemed so much longer. A lifetime longer.

After they'd graduated, Michonne had gone out. Looking for a bright new world.  
She'd always had fire, always wanted to travel and be seen and be heard.  
Carol had looked all around this town, but all she'd found was Ed.

He'd been so lovely, at first. Dashing and kind; always buying her flowers and trinkets.  
It had been a whirlwind romance.  
And soon, she found herself married with a tiny house in a busy neighborhood.  
Things had always been strange. Tight, one might say.  
Like new skin over an old wound.  
Ed had become frustrated with her.  
And at first, she thought she'd change.  
That she could make him happy. Ed had always been strict. Always. So what was to stop him from doing such when they were married?

It wasn't two years after she got married, that Carol started getting abused.  
She'd put on dark glasses, and wear long sleeved blouses (even in the dead heat of summer) and makeup to cover the bruises.

But being young, with no money and no way to live, she saw no options. As long as she'd kept her head down, did her chores and kept him fed he was alright.

Things were okay.  
Now and again, she thought about it.  
Thought about how easy it would be slit his throat while he slept, or how easy it would be to stab her domineering husband in the spine as she cut his hair each month. But she never left their tiny house that always seemed to be in a constant state of ''remodel.''  
And when a tiny girl named Sophia came along- she couldn't bear to leave her child without a father.  
She'd lost her father when she was such a little girl. Carol knew what it was like to live with a mother and no father, to lack that love and compassion that only can come from a Daddy.  
So she'd suffered. Suffered and smiled, without so much as a grimace when the beating's got bad.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Carol jumped away from her thoughts, slamming the book closed when Ed screamed her name, his face popped into the livingroom, sour and mean as ever.

"Keep a lookout for the Roofing guys. Shoulda been here an hour ago." He shook his head, muttering _'useless bastards_' and _'never taking Merle Dixon up on an offer after a night at the bar' _"Make sure they don't step through the ceiling. God knows-" whatever he'd been about to say had been cut off with the slamming if the front door as he made his way to work.  
She nodded, muttering an "Of course, dear."  
This house. This damn house was always in a state of remodel.  
That was Ed's idea. He always wanted something more, something different, something changed. Nothing was ever good enough for the man.  
But she knew the routine and she knew what her jobs were, so with a sigh, Carol tucked the book away before going to wake up Sophia to start the day.


	3. Chapter 3

**_+_+_+_ Meanwhile… on the roof. _+_+_+_+_**

"That Goddamnedredheadedbitch!" Merle, a thick looking man with steel blue eyes ranted as he threw yet another rotten shingle over the edge of the roof.  
"Motherfuckin'bitch. To give me the clap? Me!" he whizzed another chunk over the side of the pretty little yellow suburban house with the garden in front and the swing set out back.

"Maybe you shoudln't be such a puta barata." a voice came from below as a hearty laugh rang out.

"Shut up you spick." Merle howled over the edge, peering at the Mexican stacking shingles. "I didn't ask your opinion."

The man just laughed.

"Just leave it, Romeo. Old Merleie's here is just suffering from a case of itchydick, ain't that right, Merle?" A tall blonde man with a devious smirk told him, standing up from his hunched position.

"Why I oughhtta put you in your place, boy." Merle said, stalking the roof over to him.

"You'd fall over brother." Romeo cackled. " Ian can climbya like a tree."

"That's disturbing concept, if there ever was one." Ian cackled.

"DARYL! CONTROL YOUR MOTHERFUCKER OF A COUSIN!" Merle bellowed.

"Nah, I'm good. But ya'll might not be. Betty Crocker over there looks like she's gonna passout." He gestured, not getting off of his knees as he peeled up more crap to be thrown. "That and the fact there's a kid, and ya'll know my opinions on cussing in front of children."

"When she get here?" Romeo asked, climbing up the ladder and peering at her as well.

"Bout two minutes ago." Daryl shrugged, not even looking towards her.  
"Didn't ya'll hear her coming?" The soft spoken man asked.

"Not over that dumbass." Ian grinned, a thumb gesturing to where Merle stood.

"You're an Owl, man." Romeo said with a pointed finger to scruffy goat of a man "Nothing escapes your notice."

"Nah, I just learned to block Merle out years ago." he said wittily with a smirk.

Ian rolled his eyes, gesturing that he wanted to go down the ladder so Romeo could get out of the way.  
"When you're down there, tell her she needs to get her oil tank checked, that thing was rattling a mile away." Daryl said with a frown, looking at his brother who was holding out a crowbar for him.

"Tell her yourself."  
Daryl simply shook his head and said no more.

"Man can be as mean as you like, but put him in front of a woman, and damnit if he doesn't turn to pudding." Ian grumbled before doing as he was told.

"His damn Momma's fault. Made sure the boy was soft before she went and burned herself up. But Lordy did Daddy and I try to turn him into a man." Merle sniffed dramatically, clutching at his heart.

Daryl scowled at the roof, nails biting into the shingles.

**_+_+_+_+_Carol_+_+_+_+_**

A tall man climbed down, his bare chest shining in the muggy heat of the day as she stepped out of the car and stooped down to pick up Sophia out of her carseat.  
Now, Carol may have been married, and she may be practically celibate due to her husband's lack of well... lack of much of anything. But she was no stranger to hormones.  
And _Dear Lord_, did the room get hotter or was it her?

"Hello. You must be Mrs. Peletier." he said with an easy grace.  
"Names Ian Dixon. I believe your husband told you we were coming over?" He asked with an easy smirk and a rub of his furry chin.  
"I'd offer to shake your hand, but I'm pretty ickhed up right now."  
He gave a small grin to the tiny girl on Carol's hip.  
Sophia squeaked and ducked her head into mother's shoulder.  
Carol placed a hand ontop of Sophia's head.  
An unwitting gesture of protection.

"Yes." She nodded. Not offering anything more.  
'breathe, it's just a halfnaked sweating tanned muscular man. That's all.' she had to remind herself.  
"Alright, well." He nodded, keeping his distance just the same. "We're peeling up the roof today, we'll tarp it before we go, so your house won't leak or anything and we'll be back tomorrow to finish.."

"If you need anything. just come get me. I'll be in the house." Carol stated softly, smiling as she tried to keep her eyes on his face... and not his abs.

"I think we'll be fine, but thank you ma'am." She nodded, watching him as he turned to leave. but then turned back around.  
"Oh! Daryl says to have your oil tank check. He says it was rattling or loose or something..." he added with a scratch of his head.

"ohkay..." she said with a frown. She had thought Ed had that fixed last week...  
"Come on baby girl, let's get you inside." she murmured with a sigh as she peered down at the little girl.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

**Is Ian Sean Patrick Flanery And Romeo Clifton Collins Jr.? Possiby? But who's to say. they could be anyone!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**_+_+_+_+_Carol_+_+_+_+_**

  
Carol's back arched off the bed. Her hand slipping the small device lower and lower.

Oh. How she'd missed this. Sophia was down for a nap, the doors were locked, the roast in the oven...  
It had been so long since she'd gotten a chance to be alone.  
Carol was faithful to her husband. She always had been.  
She missed the part of her that had enjoyed sex. (What little of it she'd had as a teen)  
Or that she enjoyed a glass of wine.  
But it had been so long since Ed had even looked at her, even bothered to touch her.  
She'd stopped wondering if there was something she could do, something that would make him love her again. She'd asked him that once, needless to say, She wouldn't ask a question like that again.

The small silver device was a gift from Michonne, dirty girl.  
She had blushed so hard when she'd opened it, she was sure her face was still red an hour later as she sat in church.  
The mortification was worth it though... So very worth it.

She said a silent thank you to whomever decided Ed needed to work more hours.  
Her heartbeat seemed to pound with the pounding on the roof-  
Shocks of electricity were shooting over her abdomen, she closed her eyes, letting the vibrator take her over the -DINGDONG.

"Oh Hell!" She cussed.

**_+_+_+_+_Daryl_+_+_+_+_**

Daryl shifted on his feet, holding the sobbing girl to his chest as he stroked the back of her hair with a dirty hand. Trying, just trying to get her to quite making that noise. His heart still pounded from the adrenalin. From the fear of seeing the tiny girl bound into the street towards the ball she'd been playing with.

Of course he'd seen her, heard her playing in the backyard. He had even mentioned not to throw any shingles that way. (Earning a slap against the back of the head from Merle, calling him a pussy)

But then, he'd had to go and do a dumbass thing like jump off the motherfucking roof to run towards the tiny girl.

His knees were torn up with dirt and gravel from when he'd made the 'slide into first base' like move to scoop the girl up out of the way of the truck.  
That image, and an all to well known sensation of blood sliding down stinging flesh brought his brain to yet another slew of questions.

Why in the hell hadn't he dumped and run'd the kid? Why did he have to pick her up and keep her from crying?

Why did that noise, that... that whatever it is... NOISE she was making was making make his heart feel like it was being stabbed with a thousand tiny cocktail swords? Cocktail swords for fucks sake!

Why did he have to be such a sentimental fuck and WHY HADN'T SHE KEPT HER DAMNED KID IN THE HOUSE?! DIDN'T SHE KNOW THERE WERE STRANGE MEN ON THE ROOF? MEN WHO COULD SNAP HER NECK WITHOUTSOMUCHASASNEEZE OF EFFORT LET ALONE ALL THE OTHER NASTY ASS THINGS SHE COULD HAVE DONE?!

Whatamotherfuckingbitch He'dkillher. Didn't she know?!

The hell? the hell? the motherfuckingqueerandgayhell ? Why did this hurt SO MUCH.  
This was so awkward. He's surprised she hadn't blown her head off with a shotgun yet.

Thank Christ her old man wasn't home.  
He was a nasty idiot who would blow his head off (Then probably go and do the same things- NOPE. Not going there.) Damnit. Awkward.

What sort of God would do this to a person?

Let alone a socially incoherent guy like him?  
Couldn't he have just left her in the front yard? Why for the love of all things-  
Before he could process more incoherent internal screaming,

The vision of a small pixie like woman with big cornflower eyes was sealing up her robe as she opened the door caught his attention. _boob. flash of boob. person. talking. Boob. Real boob, not fake boob, really pretty boob too… was that a tattoo…. _

"Can I-?"_ shit._

**_Hehe. I do love a good Daddy!Daryl!Whumpfest.  
_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_+_+_+_+_Carol_+_+_+_+_**

With a sigh, Carol flung a pretty ''silk'' number she'd picked up at goodwill) around her shoulders and swung the door open as she knotted it.  
"Can I-?" She started out as she opened the door, her words fell from her lips as she took in the scene before her.

A dirty, sweaty, scruffy man was wearing a look of sheer pain and confusion whilst holding the sobbing Sophia.

He shifted on his feet his mouth opening slightly as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't quite get the air to come out of his lungs to make the noise.  
If he hadn't been holding her daughter who was supposed to be in the bedroom playing with her dolls she would have giggled at the blue eyed man. But seeing as he was holding her daughter, she was still nude. He was now looking at her chest as if he'd seen a ghost.  
(Damnit, probably saw her chest. Which, wasn't much to look at- good lookin' guy like him was probably disgusted by her lack of tit.)  
Carol let out a yelp, lurching forward and tearing the girl from his grasp.  
She choked on her words, simply deciding to slam the door shut and slide to the ground, checking Sophia over for injuries and cuts.

Forehead: clean  
Eyes: Wet  
Cheeks: Tearstained  
Arms: fine  
Knees: Scuffed, but not bleeding

She let out a cry, holding her baby to her chest.  
This was too damned much.

Dinner was quiet that night. (As it was most nights.) Slowly, methodically, she chewed her food as she kept her eyes trained on her plate.

It had taken her a good hour, but she'd finally been able to calm down Sophia enough to figure out just what had happened to the two and a half year old.

From what she gathered from "car'' ''walk'' ''done with nap'' ''outside'' ''ball'' ''street'' ''Mr. Daryl.'' and ''bigarms'' Sophia had gone outside whilst Carol was otherwise... _occupied, _kicked her ball into the street, nearly gotten run over by a car only to be saved in a very superman like fashion by the scruffy redneck.  
_  
I could have lost her.  
I could have lost her today.  
My baby. She's the only think I care about, and I just left her, all for a moment of release, all for a damn shot of dopamine and a pleasant buzzing sensation around her nerves.  
she could have lost her all for nothing.  
_  
She told Ed none of this.  
What was she to say? "Oh, hello darling, had a good day at work? yes yes, the workers were fine, yes. I can tell you like Merle. He is a bit odd yes. us? oh no, lazy day. you see. I was trying to have a good wank, you know how that goes. But Sophia! she was a naughty naughty girl! slipped out of the house and was nearly run over! run over I say! but not to worry, a sweaty, sunburned redneck snatched her up and brought her back, oh. no. I forget his name..."

That'd go over well.

So she said nothing.  
And Sophia said nothing.  
And Ed said nothing.  
'For, there was nothing to be said.  
Nothing at all.  
And once again, she felt like she was suffocating.

_I can't breathe. _

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

**I know for a fact that six whole people have seen this, does that mean I'll have six new reviews?  
yes. I think so. ;) **


	6. Chapter 6

**_+_+_+_+_Ian_+_+_+_+_**

"How're your knees?" Ian asked, climbing up onto the roof the next day, flopping down shingles next to Daryl as he punched them down into place, the airnailer making methodical 'THUNK THUNK THUNK' noises as it went into the wood.

"Torn to shit, thanks." Daryl muttered, snatching a new set of shingles and tearing the plastic backing off so the prerun tar could seal in the summer sun.  
He sat back on his haunches, watching as a little fly away piece of cellophane drifted into the large oak tree a few feet away.  
He pushed the back of his left hand across his forehead before going back to work.

"You sure man? Took a mighty good fall yesterday…." Romeo commented from his place a few feet away.

They'd all looked on in shock as Daryl had leapt the seven feet from the roof onto the hedges and rolled the last three feet down the holly bush as he ran full tilt into the street.

Then watched in horror as the man dove towards something, skidding on his knees like a man running into home leaving bloody skid marks on the ground as the truck sped past down the hill, blaring on its horn as if they were the ones in the way, and not the other way around.

Then the screaming had started as the men ran towards the scene, (having taken the more logical approach and climbed down the ladders)  
Ian, Merle and Romeo were surprised to see Daryl bent over a little teeny girl, blonde hair, blue eyes and knobbly knees, his rough and sunbaked hands running over her making sure that she wasn't bleeding or broken.

_"Shhh…shh.. you're alright now. Alright." Ian_ had heard his cousin mutter softly into the girls hair, lifting her up against his chest as Merle helped him to his feet.  
_"Calm down sweetheart, you're alright…"_  
And damnit if Ian didn't think for just one tiny moment that he looked damn good with a kid in his arms.  
That it suited the man who was so gentle in so many ways, yet so prickly in everything else.

Ian liked to think of Daryl like a hedgehog, rub your hand one way, and it was as soft as anything else, run your hand the other and you're in for a world of irritation and pokeyness.

"Holy fuck man." Romeo had cussed. "Didn't that dumbass know enough to slow down?" He looked towards the truck halfway to the next county.

"Obviously not." Merle drawled, spitting out a wad of Tabaco.

Daryl just grunted, shoving them back towards the roof.  
"Go back to work, asshats. I'll take her back to her ma." He grunted, limping away.  
Ian raised a hand, reaching towards Daryl, but his cousin just shook it off.

_"Like that sweetheart?"_ he cooed again, eyes looking distracted. _"Get you back to your ma. She'll take care'a ya. Makesure you're not bent up."_

"It's a pity he's so fucked in the head." Merle then commented more to himself than anything.  
He'd taken off his baseball cap and run his fingers through messy curls. "He'd make a damn good daddy if he could find a woman who wanted his ugly ass."

Romeo raised an eyebrow at Ian as Merle walked away.  
Ian shook his head, just as surprised as Romeo was. Things said like that were not common from Merle Dixon. And especially not with any sincerity, it was best to be ignored or stored away for future reflection.

"She looked horrified, I shoulda just left the kid on the front yard…I'm never gonna be able to look that woman in the boob again." Daryl was bemoaning into his nail gun.

"Well, there's your problem, man." Ian snickered, coming back from lala land.  
"You should be looking her in the _face. _Not the _boob."_

Daryl just groaned, throwing his head into the crook of his arms.

"Careful man, you need a nail in your head like you need a well…hole in the head…" Romeo trailed off.. snatching the nailgun from Daryl's arms.

"YOU ASSHOLESGONNAWORKORNOT?" Merle grunted, voice mean and nasty.  
"I want this shit over and done with!"


	7. Chapter 7

_+_+_+_+_Carol_+_+_+_+_

"So this is the bath." Carol sighed as she brought the man through to the back guest bath.

"Looks easy enough." The man said as he peered inside.  
He was tall and handsome in a rugged way. With shy blue eyes and movements similar to a frightened cat. He looked familiar somehow- though she couldn't place it.

She brushed it off though, seeing as Ed always had men over working on the house.  
Nothing was ever perfect for him. Nothing shiney enough, nothing the right color of paint, nothing with the right fixtures.

"And Ed gave you all the specifications?" she asked, lifting Sophia farther up on her hip.  
Sophia lifted her head and looked up at him shyly.

The man grunted a ''Yes Ma'am." As he bent forward with a soft smile and waved at the little girl.  
"Shouldn't be more than a couple of days." He commented, standing back up.

"That's what they always say." She laughed lightly.

"Yeah. Well." He took off the baseball cap and pulled the back of his left hand over his forehead, pushing back the messy brown fringe. "They ain't me. It'll get done quick." He nodded.  
He dropped the toolbox on the floor before turning back around.

She nodded and turned to go back to the kitchen.

"Oh! I didn't catch your name!" She blushed at her rudeness,  
"I'm Carol." She held out her hand for him.

He looked down at the offered hand with a raised eyebrow, as if he were actually considering if it was a bad idea to touch her or not.  
He shrugged softly before wiping his clean hand off on his jeans and shaking her hand.

"Daryl, Ma'am. Daryl Dixon." She smiled, shaking his large warm hand in hers.  
His grip was firm, a realman's handshake. But it wasn't so hard that he'd hurt her fingers.

"Lovely to meet you Daryl. You just shout if you need anything." He nodded jerkily before turning his back and pulling out a tape measure.

As she turned around and started down the hall, she felt her insides start to boil slightly.  
_"Daryl."_

She turned her head to look at him. To look at the man who saved her baby from surely being killed.  
He hadn't mentioned it, hadn't said anything or done anything that would have even reminded her that they'd met before.  
It was only Sophia's soft whisper against her shoulder that had reminded her of the incident several months before.

He looked the same.  
Though, he smelled a bit better this time around.  
She smiled softly to herself and went to go make lunch.  
She'd make him a fine lunch-

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

"Sophia?" She asked, turning from the stove.  
But the girl wasn't where she had left her sitting at the kitchen table.  
Carol frowned, putting down the spatula and dusting her hands off on her apron.

"Sophia?" She called, peaking her head through the livingroom doorway.  
She wasn't there.  
Nor in her bedroom.  
The doors were locked, so she knew she hadn't left the house.

A giggling down the hall caught her attention.

"Wiggle wiggle wiggle." Sophia was sitting near Daryl's legs, wiggling his kneecap back and forth from where it stuck out of the rip in his jeans.  
The front half of his body was up under the sink, working on changing out the plumbing.

"Careful, it might just wiggle off." He grunted good naturedly.

"You got bumbs like Momma." She commented, her finger tracing down the scar on the inside of his kneecap.

"Everybody's got bumps." He said softly, a hand falling out of the cupboard to grab at a socket wrench.

"I don't have bumbs." Sophia exclaimed. "Nota one!"

"That's good." His voice echoed funnily through the wood.  
"Babies don't need bumps." His voice had hitched oddly.

"I ain't a baby!" She squaked indignantly.

"Sure you are. And I'm a grampa." Was his reply.

"you're ooollllld." She giggled.

"Yep. Seventy two not a day younger."

She had turned away, deciding to go back to check on the stove. As cute as the conversation was she didn't need Ed to have to deal with a burnt dinner.  
Somehow she knew Sophia was in good hands.

Just as she'd turned away there was a great spluttering noise and the sound of his head hitting the bottom of the sink as he tried to get away from whatever it was he had encountered.

Sophia let out a loud peal of fright at whatever it was.  
As Carol rushed in she found Daryl holding her by the hip as she sat on the counter top screaming her bloody head off as he brushed the tiny bugs from her hair with quick but gentle movements.  
There were bugs on his own body and climbing on the tile before her.

"Hush hush. They ain't gonna hurt you. Just bugs. Eat Wood, Don't eat people." He was mumbling.  
"You're alright."

"MOMMA!" Sophia screamed, seeing her.

Daryl thrust the girl into her arms.

"She's alright, I didn't hurt her! Just bugs! Nothing else!" His face was filled with a terror she wasn't quite sure where it came from.

Carol smiled as she shushed Sophia on her shoulder.  
"I see we have termites." She stated in a deadpanned voice.

"Uhhhuh." He nodded, shaking his head and trying to rid himself of the few bugs that were still on his face.  
His face was so red that she nearly missed the large gash on his forhead as it dripped blood.

"Why don't you uh…" She looked down at the floor .  
"Shut the bathroom door and we'll get lunch and fix you up." She held out a hand to him.  
He looked at it looking quite shocked.

"_Now. Daryl." _She said in a mom tone when he didn't move.

He gulped and jumped over the threshold before slamming the door shut behind him- even going so far as to take off the flannel shirt he wore and stuff it under the door so no bugs might crawl past the barrier.

She nodded smartly with a grin before grabbing 'hold of his hand and tugging him down the hall to the kitchen.  
Inside, she was still shuddering at the sight of all those … _bugs. _


	8. Chapter 8

**sorry this took so long to update and such a short chapter. I will try and update again tomorrow.  
Thanks for reading!  
Review please! **

**_+_+_+_+_+_Daryl_+_+_+_+_+_**

"So there were termites?" Ian asked with a frown as he crushed the beer can and whizzed it across the room, missing the trashcan by a good foot and a half.

"Yes." Daryl groused, throwing his own can.  
It hit the basket dead center with a dull _plink. _

"Well, I am very confused- what's so bad about having to work the job a few more weeks?" Ian asked, propping his feet up on the coffee table with a quirk of his brow. "I mean, other than the fact you have to gut the whole damn place and deal with the actual creepy crawlers." He gave a shudder for good measure.  
"God I hate bugs- reason I'm not a Plummer."

"Because, dumbass. Means I have to put up with her for another however many weeks. Not to mention the kid and her dumbass husband."

Daryl growled, pushing Ian's feet off the table and giving it a quick swipe with his elbow to wipe away the dirt from its cleaned surface.  
"Also, federal law dictates you not be allowed near any sort of heat source, lest ye burn down the whole fucking town. That's why you're not a Plummer, not because you don't like bugs."

Ian laughed loudly, his head falling back on the ratty sofa he was currently lounging on.  
"Come on man, what's really bothering you?" Ian asked. "You like kids. And it ain't like she's gonna friggen bite you or anythin'- seriously. Job pays good money."

"I can't look her in the boob again!" Daryl pfft'ed as he stood up with a wrenching tug on his hair and he started to pace.

"We've been over this. Look her in the _face_, not the _boob _and you'll be golden, Ponyboy." Ian said with a very point blank expression as he pulled a package of cigarettes out of his front pocket and tapped it against his thigh.

"No, you idiot. She friggen manhandled me, forced me into a chair and went all mom on my ass-"

"Sure, she's a little homely in the looks department, but ever motherfucker needs a mother to fuck." Ian barked in a laugh.

"SHUTUP!" Daryl shouted with a kick to his knees, Ian bent over, still laughing.

"It was like I was a fucking four year old. That bitch musta used some sorta ninja powers. All the sudden I was sitting down on the kitchen table with her chest in my face and her all over me!" He plopped backwards onto the yellow shag carpet with a groan. "Do you know how hard it is to hide a hardon when she's _RIGHT FUCKING THERE?_" He moaned in utmost despair.

There was a searing pain about his hairline as he opened his eyes.  
"Explains the hello kitty band-aid." Ian laughed at the look on Daryl's face.  
It was obvious that he hadn't known it was there.  
Daryl swiped at the band-aid before banging his head hard against the carpet, willing the shame and embarrassment to crawl in a whole and die and take him with it.


	9. Chapter 9

** _+_+_+_+_Sophia_+_+_+_+_**

Sophia had decided she liked Mr. Daryl not too long after he had caught her up in his arms when she'd run after her ball.  
She'd been so intent getting the ball that she hadn't stopped like her Momma had always told her. She hadn't stopped to look for the truck.  
It had almost squished her!

After Mr. Daryl had come and saved her and made those funny shifty little steps with his feets, He'd given her back to Momma.  
Maybe he was dancing.  
Didn't look like dancing though.

She thought he was funny- the way he always looked so shy 'round Momma.  
She didn't know why he was so scared of her. Momma was nice and gave good hugs.  
Maybe Mr. Daryl just needed a hug.

Though, to be honest. He'd probably be like Benny down the street and squirm all over the place if she tried.  
At the thought, she giggled loudly. Her fingers coming up over her lips.

"What're you gigglin' at?" The man asked as he pulled up more pieces of tile.

"Notthin'" she said with a smile as she peered over the edge of the sofa at him.

"I don't believe you." He stated with a roll of his eyes.  
"Somethin' goin' on in that mind a'yours, Sophia Peletier. I can see it."  
he growled playfully, waggling a screwdriver in her direction."

"If Momma gave you a hug! You'd Exploded!" She giggled madly. "POOF!" she exclaimed with a clap of her hands as she fell backwards over the couch, landing on the floor with a dull thud as she rolled back and forth, clutching at her feet in glee.

"What on earth…" Carol asked as she walked into the hall and looked at Daryl who was watching Sophia giggle.

"What's got her so tickled?" She asked Daryl.

"Somethin' bout you givein' me a hug." He shrugged, scratching at the back of his neck.

"Did you need one?" She asked slyly, looking up at him with a simplistic expression.

"What?!" he asked, jumping back a foot.  
"Hell no. Why'd I need a hug from you? Hell. I don't need a hug- no." he spluttered, face turning redder and redder with each passing moment.  
"Not that you'd give bad hugs. Or you're gross or somethin' just I'm all dirty and It ain't right cause you're married and nothin's even wrong I ain't had someone hug me since I was in dippers. And I done been house broke for some while! So hell fuck no. I don't know what got into her head and sorry…" He said, hands coming over his mouth.  
"Didn't mean ta'curse." He mumbled around his fingers.

"Right…." She drawled, face just as pleasant as before, if not amusedly befuddled.  
"You're staying for lunch." She said with an air of authority as she picked up the still giggling girl off the carpet and started off towards the kitchen.

"No Ma'am. That's alright, I'll get something at – "

"No arguing now, Mr. Dixon. Go wash up now." She said with a grin over her shoulder.  
Once she had slipped into the kitchen, Daryl thumped his head against the doorframe.

_"Fuck." _


End file.
